Snapshots
by punnylove
Summary: Glimpses into the lives of Rahzel, Alzeid, and Heat. Chapter 2 Up!: "Of course I'm the best," Rahzel said, sounding surprised they would even ask, "Who else has the skills to put up with the two of you?"
1. Daily Life

_Each chapter will have a theme and several drabbles, word-drabbles, or will be a one-shot. Taking requests! First theme: Daily Life_

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><p><strong>1. Domestic Life<strong>

Despite Heat's request for Rahzel to serve them in what was possibly the skimpiest maid uniform on the planet, (and her reply that she'd rather eat rocks), she somehow ended up being the trios' unofficial housekeeper. (Could she be a housekeeper if they didn't have a house?)

Had someone bothered to ask why the normally strong-minded girl took on all the cooking and cleaning with only mild complaints, she would have shrugged and said something about her companions' cooking tasting like mud or their tolerance for dirty laundry.

It wasn't because she liked Heat's declarations of pleasure when he ate her cooking or the small smile on Alzeid's face when he found his clean clothes folded neatly on his bed.

Anyone who suggested otherwise could just go die.

**2. Traveling Methods**

They preferred traveling on foot most of the time—life was just so much more interesting when you had to forage to survive—but whenever the sun winked out and rain started to fall, the two men would exchange glances and call for a carriage.

Once, they get caught in the middle of nowhere in a drizzle, and though it isn't pouring, the fog is making it hard to find their way to shelter. After a couple hours of wandering in circles, tempers start flaring. Alzeid tells Rahzel that she better not slow them down, and the girl retaliates by refusing to complain about her exhaustion until she collapses on the road in a dead faint.

Heat picks her up, but Alzeid is the one who gives her his coat and feel her forehead. Of course, she just has to be burning up and Alzeid calls her an idiot before hoisting her onto his back. When Rahzel wakes up the next morning, the two men both have fevers and they're still in the middle of nowhere.

She's happier than she's been for a long time anyway.

**3. Sleeping Arrangements**

While their lifestyle isn't exactly extravagant, it isn't cheap either. More than once the trio has found themselves with only enough money to rent one room in the dankest, coldest inn in the village. When these places don't turn out to house murderous children or innkeepers rumored to practice black magic, and they actually have a chance to get some sleep, it quickly turns awkward.

Then, Heat offers to share his body heat with Rahzel in exchange for some personal favors and when she tries to break his nose, suddenly everything's back to normal.

She insists on sleeping on the floor, but by the time midnight rolls around she gives in to the cold and snuggles in between Heat and Alzeid. Their eyes are always closed, their breaths steady, and so she feels no qualms about pressing herself as close as possible to which ever man is closest to her.

The first time she does this, Heat, who was always awake, opens his eyes to find a very uncomfortable Alzeid looking cross-eyed at the girl snuggled into his chest. Their eyes meet, and Heat winks. The message is clear, and Alzeid has to restrain himself from leaping at the other man.

The second time it happens, it's Alzeid's turn to glare meaningfully at Heat as the man unashamedly draws Rahzel closer to him.

The third night, their room only contains one bed but it's warm enough that sharing body-heat is no longer necessary. When night-time rolls around, the men look at each other and unanimously decide to sleep on the floor. Two sleepless nights had been quite enough.

**4. Food**

Rahzel loves eating out, but they rarely have the money to spend on restaurants, so more often than not she ends up buying ingredients and cooking herself. The first time her two companions catch her humming demurely as she stirs soup, they make the mistake of commenting and she refuses to let them eat any of her broth—which happens to smell really good.

The second time, they shut up and are finally allowed to taste the heavenly smells that have been coming from their makeshift kitchen all day. The vegetable soup is delicious and consumed in seconds. Rahzel watches Alzeid's content smile and listens to Heat's extravagant praises—and then she cheerfully informs them that it's their turn the next day.

After hours of preparation, several explosions, and what Rahzel assumes to be toxic gases wafting from the next room, Heat and Alzeid finally produce a charred, rock-hard object that she finally realizes was a turkey.

She cooks the meals after that.

**5. Misunderstandings**

Due to the difference in eye-color, hair-color, and overall personality, people seldom believe that Rahzel, Alzeid, and Heat are related. Unfortunately, they almost never conclude that they're just traveling buddies. Heat's all for playing up the rumors that they're a scandalous threesome escaping from their traditional village, but after Alzeid threatens to shoot him and Rahzel's hand starts glowing, he backs off.

Unfortunately, despite their repeated explanations, misunderstandings still occur—some with bizarre consequences.

Rahzel has been pulled away and asked worriedly if she'd been sold as a slave. She was "rescued" from her "pimps" once.

Her favorite was the time a group of thugs tried to kidnap her, assuming that she was some kind of nobility being escorted by two bodyguards. Alzeid and Heat beat them up in seconds, of course, but the fact that she'd been taken for a grand lady put a smile on her face.

**6. Baths**

When they're lucky enough to stay at an inn, Rahzel threatens her companions with castration if they even consider peeking at her in the tub. (Heat does so anyway, always managing to evade the knife she's taken to hiding in her towel. Alzeid just snorts and asks why anyone would want to peek at a child like her. The knife never touches him either.)

When they're in the woods, however, the river is the often the only option. The group learns by trial-and-error that Rahzel will throw herself into fast-paced, dangerous water in order to stay clean, and that Alzeid rarely remembers to inform the other two when he's goes to go wash himself.

(After Rahzel accidentally catches a glimpse of the very naked Alzeid, her first reaction is deep, complete mortification. The second is—_where did all that scarring come from?_)

**7. Waking Up**

"Morning Rahzel-chan!"

"Ugh. Why are you on top of me, you pervert? Get off!" _Smack._

"I love you too, Rahzel-chan! Your punches are just so tiny and cute!"

"They're not _sup_posed to be cute. They're supposed to break your nose."

"…ah. So cruel."

"Only to perverts!"

"That was way too cheerful."

"Truth is the source of all happiness."

"So philosophical—shall you teach me the meaning to life?"

"No problem. The fee is five-million yen per hour."

"Aww, so expensive! How about I pay with my body?" _Smirk. _"I promise you, it'll be well worth it."

"Heat, you're on top of me again—hey, don't touch me there, you pedophile!"

An evil aura freezes the two in their tracks, as a white head slowly rises from the bed, red eyes hidden by messy bangs. "_You. Woke. Me. Up." _The thing that used to be Alzeid hisses, Rahzel and Heat gulp, and the aura darkens.

Alzeid smiles. "_Prepare to die."_

**8. Money**

They've done all sorts of things to finance their journey—from exorcism (all of them), to mercenary work (mostly just Heat and Alzeid), to being an extra cook in a fancy establishment (all Rahzel), to being bodyguards. In addition, Rahzel suspects that Alzeid still drags people who look like they have money into back alleys when they're really in need of some coin, and she knows that Heat has money-making professions that she's never imagined.

And, from time to time, mysterious gifts show up on their front steps, or a new knife replaces the one that snapped after a particularly nasty fight, or Rahzel finds a new dress in her closet.

**9. Asleep**

Laying in bed at night after a particularly difficult day, the three drift off to sleep with their last thoughts floating hazily through their minds.

Rahzel: _Alzeid and Heat are warm._

Alzeid: _That stupid woman's feet are freezing._

Heat: _She's hugging me!_

And finally, just before sleep claims them—_I hope we stay like this forever._


	2. Skills

_Chapter Prompt: Skills_

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><p><strong>1. Unsurprised<strong>

The first time Rahzel was surprised by Heat's variety of physical talents—no, not _that_ kind—was at a circus where a little boy was kidnapped and murdered by a crazy ringmaster. After that, as time went by, she just started assuming that if it was anything physical, Alzeid and Heat could probably do it, and do it well.

Just because she's gotten used to them being able to perform the strangest tricks, however, doesn't mean her eyes still don't shine when she watches them do flips, fight, and spar.

**2. Education**

People assume that her father spent all his time in her rigorous physical training. They couldn't be further off.

Rahzel's foster father was an intense academic who's said to her more than once that any daughter of his would be as well-read and well-versed as any university scholar. As a result, Rahzel often carries a book around during her travels. Secretly, she prides herself in the fact that she's got more "book-learning" than both of her companions combined.

**3. Acting**

Rahzel's cute, Alzied's sexy, Heat's not exactly hard on the eyes—and they all know how to work it to their advantages. More than once a merchant has given Rahzel a discount on a cute outfit after a glimpse at her big, imploring blue eyes. Female innkeepers are usually more than happy to rent them a room after Heat starts working his charm, and Alzeid, (though he uses his power more sparingly), is even better at getting what he wants.

Some might have called it manipulation. To them, it's just that people enjoy giving them gifts. Who are they to question it?

**4. Diplomacy**

When it comes to talking their way out of a situation, all three have their individual techniques. Rahzel has youth and gender on her side—most of their political adversaries have been surprised by her intellectual level and swayed by her logic. Heat can actually look credible, assuming the person giving them trouble is a man.

Alzeid, however, has a balance of danger added to his diplomacy—a sort of, _you should be lucky I'm still talking to you and not chopping your head off_ kind of vibe. Needless to say, he gets listened to the most.

**5. Learning**

Their greatest skill is greatly debated by their vast fan club, which somehow manages to span every place they've traveled. Is it Rahzel's magic, or Heat's sword-technique? Is it Alzeid's fighting prowess? (Which, by the way, has yet to come second to anyone—man, woman, beast, ghost, or creature of magic.)

In reality, however, their greatest skill is not the ones they already possess, but their ability to shift and change as time goes by, to learn new skills and grow as people.

**6. Miscellaneous**

Some days, when there are no ghosts to exorcise or murderers to hunt down—when they're not running for their lives or running to save something else's, the trio laze around whatever town they just happen to be vacating and just relax.

Of course, because they're Rahzel, Alzeid, and Heat, they invariably end up in some kind of competition. Today, it's to see who can master tying a cherry stem with their mouth the fastest. After several hours of intense practice—and several piles of cherries—Rahzel finally manages to master the trick. She spends the rest of the time bragging about her new skill, much to her companions' amusement.

**7. Disguise**

The problem with traveling with an albino is that, no matter how you try, his pale skin and scarlet eyes always make him stand out in a crowd. Luckily, Heat knows just how to keep Alzeid from being seen as they maneuver through a town that has them on their "Public Enemy Number 1" list.

Yes, list.

"If you laugh, I'll kill you." Alzeid mutters, and Heat stifles the grin growing on his face.

Rahzel studied the previously white-haired man critically, before nodding in approval. "Alzeid," she said, beaming at him, "You make a very lovely mannequin."

**8. Better**

"Of course I'm the best," Rahzel said, sounding surprised they would even ask, "Who else has the skills to put up with the two of you?"

**9. Laugh**

They might make her so mad that she half-wants to just go it alone—but at the end of the day, Rahzel knows that Heat or Alzeid will say something to pull her out of her melancholy and put a smile back on her face. And, after all, isn't that what friends are for?

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><p><em>Reviews appreciated.<em>


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